How To Catch a Man
by StrawberryPajamas
Summary: The merger is upon them and Jim STILL hasn't asked out Karen. So who does she go for advice on men? Our favorite lovelorn receptionist Pam Beesly of course! post-merger season 3 begins from Karen's POV. NOW COMPLETE
1. First Day

_I've written a 5 things bit, and several oneshots, but never a REAL story. So I'm kind've nervous. But I have to try, right? This is a story centered around season 3 post-merger that starts out from Karen's point-of-view. Don't hate me!:( Jim hasn't asked her out yet, so be grateful..._

Disclaimer: I don't own the office, I just borrowed it for this story and a few others.

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Karen pulled into the parking lot of her new office building in Scranton, Pennsylvania. She scrunched her nose in disgust, seeing how dull and drab it appeared against the cold, gray sky. It seemed to blend right in. _Oh, this is going to be a fun job. _She thought sarcastically as she parked in one of the open spaces. The office building in Stamford wasn't much better, but at least it had an ocean view. Plus the brown brick was more professional and polished-looking. _This _building was just gave an air of a depressing, claustrophobic work environment. Jim described it perfectly.

_Jim, _she thought, suddenly whistful.

She had been thinking about Jim more and more frequently nowadays. He was smart and funny and cute. He also suggested she come to Scranton with him, so she couldn't help but be hopeful. He had yet to ask her out, but she wasn't that worried. Maybe he just wanted it to be casual, or maybe he was hesitant after a bad breakup. Whatever the reason, Karen would make sure that while they were in Scranton, he only had eyes for _her._

She made her way across the parking lot and through the double doors. Checking the tackboard to the side of the lobby, she found Dunder-Mifflin was on the third floor. She walked to the elevator and it dinged open.

"Hold on!" Someone was calling from behind her. She held a out hand to stop the elevator doors from closing and turned around to see a rather large, friendly looking woman with glasses come walking quickly towards her. Karen smiled politely as the woman hurried past her and into the elevator.

"Hello. I haven't seen you here before," the woman said kindly to Karen after the doors closed behind them and began to ascend. She sounded like a woman talking to a lost child in the mall, and Karen felt slighly intimidated.

"I moved here from Stamford. We merged into the Scranton Dunder-Mifflin branch and today's my first day."

"Oh right!" The woman's eyes widened, and she smiled again. "I forgot that was happening today. Phyllis Lapin, Dunder-Mifflin." she introduced herself, holding out her hand.

"Karen Fillipelli," Karen shook the woman's hand. She felt something hard press against her fourth finger, and noticed Phyllis wearing an engagment ring...and on it the largest diamond she had ever seen.

"Wow!" Karen couldn't help but comment on the piece of jewelry. Phyllis beamed with pride as she held out her hand so Karen could inspect the ring more. The doors dinged open and the pair made their way into the hallway.

"Who's the lucky guy?" Karen thought that was more appropriate to ask than, "Who could possibly _afford _this kind of bling?"

"Bob Vance, of Vance Refrigeration," Phyllis smiled, if possible, even wider at the mention of her fiancee.

Karen didn't really know how to respond to that other than to smile and utter a small "ah,". She had no idea who this Bob Vance dude was.

Luckily, they made it to the office, and Phyllis politely opened the door for her. Karen walked inside and began taking in her surroundings. Right in front of her was a reception desk which held a cute yet mousy-looking receptionist. Behind her were a hidden clump of desks and filing cabinets. She looked to the left and took in the rest of the office, noticing that all the desks were all facing different directions. With a pang, she remembered that Stamford's branch had all the desks face one way. It was how she was comfortable working, and she wasn't sure how she would adjust to this.

"Hello," the receptionist said to Karen, and she turned to face her. The girl had rather boring hair, curled slightly at the ends, but had a nice face. She smiled at Karen and stood up, offering her hand. Karen took it, smiling too.

"I'm Pam, the receptionist."

"Karen," Karen introduced herself to the girl, "Sales," she added, thinking it was appropriate.

"I'm in sales too!" Phyllis suddenly said excitedly from behind her. Karen jumped slightly, not realizing she was there. "How fun! It'll be nice to have another woman on the team."

"Yeah?" Karen asked Phyllis politely. Pam giggled quietly.

"Yeah. Phyllis here has been the only saleswoman around since _I_ started here," Pam grinned at Phyllis, who looked sheepish.

"Yeah, well...Michael didn't even hire me. It was Ed Truck, my old boss. I bet you anything Michael only keeps me around cause he's afraid of firing people."

Karen and Pam both laughed at this statement, and Karen started feeling more at ease. She could get used to being friends with these people.

Suddenly, a door leading to a smaller office burst open and out walked a short man with black hair and a look of childish excitement. He looked at the three women by reception and his mouth suddenly shaped into a comical "O".

"Get ready," Pam muttered to Karen. Karen gulped.

"Oh-ho-ho!" The man walked up to them and snickered, "This is even _better _than a man's best dream: _Three _women at once!" He held his smile at Pam and Karen, then looked at Phyllis, his face falling slightly. "Well, two's still not bad,"

Phyllis looked down and dejectedly began making her way to her desk. Karen just stared at him. How could someone be so inconsiderate and rude to women like that?

Pam broke the awkward silence, "Karen, this is our boss Michael Scott," she introduced her to the rude man, "Michael this is Karen. She transferred here from Stamford."

Karen held out her hand to shake Michael's, but to her horror he took her hand with both of his and brought it to his mouth, planting a wet kiss onto the back of her hand. Karen pulled it away, trying to not let the disgust show on her face, even though she was about ready to puke.

"Welcome, milady, to our humble abode." Michael luckily didn't catch how grossed out Karen was. He was waving his hand around as if to show how large the small office space could be. "This is our kingdom, where we make paper!" he snorted with laughter, and Karen internally rolled her eyes.

"Hey, how 'bout I show you around?"

Show her around?! How long would that take, like an hour? She didn't know if she could stand one more minute with this man! Karen seemed to have the horror show on her face, because a second later Pam cut in, "Uh, Michael, I forgot to tell you, Jan called."

"Really?!" Michael bubbled excitedly before sprinting off back to his office and leaving Karen standing there, forgotten.

Karen turned to Pam, "Did she really call?"

Pam smirked, "Yeah, she did. I just didn't tell him she called about the merger. He just assumes she wants _him _every time she calls_._"

Karen shuddered.

"C'mon," Pam said kindly, walking around her desk, "I'll show you to your desk," Pam led the way to an empty desk next to Phyllis. On the way she was telling her that it gets some getting used to the weird antics Michael brings to the office and that she really shouldn't take them personally. Karen realized that this girl had experience, and she knew if ever she needed some help dealing with this new work environment, Pam would be there. Karen couldn't help but think they were going to be good friends in the office.

"If you need to know anything else or just wanna chat, or need to vent even, I work right over there," Pam smiled and pointed to her desk. Karen chuckled.

"Yeah, I'll probably be visiting _real_ soon," Karen said, only half-joking.

Pam laughed, then made her way back to her desk, ready to greet the rest of the transfers once they came.

For the next 20 minutes, Karen began unpacking all of her things and opened her new company email account. She watched as her old coworkers trickled in one by one and saw the nervousness cloud their expressions. It was like watching a car wreck every time Michael bounded out of his office and introduced himself as 'Michael Scarn, FBI'. But each time, Pam managed to save each one by distracting Michael with this or that. She seemed to totally understand how stressful first days can be, and Karen was definitely grateful she was there.

It took her five minutes to set up her new voicemail, and she didn't notice anyone coming in. By the time she did look up, Jim had arrived, and was hugging Pam hello. Karen knew Jim had friends back in Scranton, and she thought it was sweet that people around here had missed him. If Jim left Stamford without her, she would miss him. She watched as Jim shook hands with a few more people and got smothered by a hug with Michael before walking over and getting settled into his desk. After a second Jim looked up and noticed Karen staring, and she immediately went red. Jim just smirked at her before getting seated at his desk (which thankfully faced her). Karen smiled to herself before turning back to her work. Today, hopefully, wouldn't be that bad.

Orientation that day was nothing short of ridiculous. Michael and Jim's deskmate Dwight had done a rap based off of SNL's Lazy Sunday, and incorporated different hotspots around Scranton in it. As if she really needed to know what anthracite museum she wanted to go to on a free weekend. It was strange how her boss could pack so much information into one orientation and at the end of the day she didn't even know where HR was. She would ask Jim tomorrow, she decided.

The end of the day had come at last, and Karen was grateful. Today had been horrible, and she desperately needed a drink. Maybe Jim would come with her? Karen looked up and saw Jim talking to the accountant Kevin and putting his jacket on. He was about to leave. So much for that drink...

Karen watched with a heavy heart as Jim walked out of the office without even so much as a goodbye to her. I mean, he was basically the reason she took this job in the first place! He could at least acknowledge her existence once in awhile. He barely even talked to her today, and when he did, he was just answering a question she asked him. It was nothing more than friendly banter, and that made Karen sad. She wondered if she was just wasting her time here, and if Jim really had any intention of asking her out.

_Boy troubles, _Karen thought sullenly as she packed up her things. Usually she would go to her mother for boy troubles, but she was away with her father on vacation. She didn't need her daughter's woes making her trip suck. There was also her sister Maggie, but lately she had become more than a bit annoyed with Karen whining about how her coworker didn't like her. Karen understood how Maggie was annoyed, but that didn't make her feel any better.

What she needed was a friend. A transferred coworker from Stamford? No, they weren't really considered _good_ friends, or at least the kind of friends she would talk to about her relationships. She had girlfriends back in Stamford, but she didn't think they were close enough to call long-distance and ask for advice. What she needed was a friend who was close-by. Someone who understood her. Someone who knew Jim.

Karen's eyes drifted over to the receptionist desk, where Pam was finishing up for the day, and smiled. She suddenly knew where she would get the help she needed...

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_Review pretty-please, and tell me what you think!!:) Next chapter is merger day from Pam's POV_


	2. Reunion

_Hey, thanks for all the reviews! I love them as much as I love to breathe:P_

_Here's the second chapter. It's just the merger day from Pam's POV, so enjoy (or die)!_

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Fom the moment Pam Beesly woke up that morning, her mood had been jumping back-and-forth from nervous to excited faster than a ping-pong match. She would feel nervous about what her new coworkers would be like, then she would feel excited when she thought about Jim. She would be nervous about Michael making a terrible first impression with these people, then she would feel excited when she thought about Jim. New coworkers: nervous. Jim: excited. Back and forth, back and forth, all morning. It was getting to be too much, and Pam yearned for the day to be over already, even though she was just climbing into her car to go to work.

She had made it to the parking lot at work with nobody there except Michael and Stanley, who's cars were on opposite sides of the parking lot. She parked next to Stanley's BMW and got out, feeling less than ready for the day that was about to come.

No one new came for about twenty minutes. Pam waited with baited breath each time the door would open, and she let out a disappointed sigh each time it wasn't the person she was waiting for. The first new person to come was a small, dark-skinned woman who came in talking to Phyllis. Pam watched her look at her, then at accounting, then around the entire office with a line of worry etched on her face. Pam sympathized, and figured this girl needed a friend.

"Hello," Pam said, and the girl turned to look at her. Pam stood up and held out a hand, trying to be polite, "I'm Pam, the receptionist."

The girl introduced herself as Karen, and Pam liked her immediately. She just knew she was going to be a good friend in the office. Maybe even as good as... Pam pushed that thought out of her head as she and Karen chatted with Phyllis who was standing behind Karen. Pam was finally starting to enjoy her day a little.

Then Michael stormed out of his office.

_Oh no, _Pam suddenly felt uneasiness grip her stomach as she saw Michael look at them with eyes that said 'Watch out, I'm about to tell an inappropriate joke!'. Karen, who had yet to be exposed to Michael's antics, needed to be warned.

"Get ready," Pam mumbled to Karen. It was all she could do.

"Oh-ho-ho!" Michael walked up to them and snickered, "This is even _better _than a man's best dream: _Three _women at once!" Pam saw him hold his smile as he looked at her and Karen, then his face fell slightly when he looked at Phyllis. "Well, two's still not bad." he mumbled.

As Phyllis walked to her desk with her head down, Pam watched Karen glare at Michael. She couldn't blame her. Michael may say a lot of inappropriate things, but this statement was _way_ out of line. This was the worst first impression you could have gotten from Michael Scott, and that was saying something! Pam, hating herself, introduced Karen to Michael. After, she silently oversaw them with a watchful eye as he talked to Karen, making sure nothing would get out of control. When Michael suggested he give her a tour, and a look of deathly terror filled Karen's eyes, Pam stepped in: "Uh, Michael, I forgot to tell you, Jan called."

"Really?" Michael asked happily before sprinting off to his office, without so much as a goodbye to Karen. Karen looked at Pam, obviously grateful.

"Did she really call?"

"Yeah, she did. I just didn't mention she called about the merger. He just assumes she wants _him _when she calls."

Karen shuddered, and Pam smiled. She loved the fact that there was someone she could work with _and_ get along with. She hadn't had someone she got along well with since...

"C'mon," Pam said kindly as she could, walking around her desk and leading her to where Phyllis and Stanley sat, "I'll show you to your desk..."

After showing Karen to her desk, Pam walked back to her own desk, and began to feel the familiar flutters of anxiousness grip her stomach. Jim should be coming anytime now. She tried to not be distracted by the thought of her best friend returning for the first time in 5 months, but it was hard. No doubt about it: she was excited.

For nearly a twenty minutes, no sign of Jim had appeared at the door. Was he even coming today? Pam tried not to worry too much about it as the new Stamford people came filing in. She watched sympathetically as their faces showed utter horror at the realization on who their boss was and how he behaved. Pam managed to rescue each one by distracting Michael with a phone call or a 'last-minute preparation' she invented for the orientation later that day. Each time she knew that if Jim were there, he would appreciate her lying skills, and would applaud her for it. She could hardly sit still, she was that excited to see him again...

Five minutes passed with nothing much happening. Then he walked in.

_He looks good, _was the first thought that popped into her head when she first glimpsed him, and she felt herself flush. His hair was the exact same as how she remembers it, and his jacket was too. He looked exactly how she last saw him; her Jim. She had never felt so thankful for something so simple in her entire life.

He walked in further, looking at her with slight apprehension, as if he thought she was going to judge him. She didn't even realize she was staring; not smiling, just staring. As if in shock. Realizing this, her face suddenly split into a wide smile.

"Hi," he said, very quietly. A smile began creeping on his face once he saw her smile.

"Hey," she said, just as quietly. Her mouth was about to crack, she was smiling so much.

That was all they needed to say.

In one swift motion, Pam moved towards Jim and they wrapped their arms around each other, locked in an embrace. Pam loved the feel of his arms holding her; she never wanted him to let go. She hugged him with a form of desperation, forgetting they were in an office full of people. She had missed her best friend so much.

Pam knew they were holding on to each other longer than what friends are supposed to. Jim seemed to realize this, and was the first to let go. He looked down at her, a smile lighting his face. Pam felt her heart skip a beat as she looked into his eyes too.

She knew they were staring at each other longer than what friends are supposed to.

Luckily, the spell was broken before anyone got suspicious. "Jim!" Ryan appeared at the entrance with Kelly, smiling, and noticed Jim standing there. Jim turned around and greeted his old friends.

"Good to see you, man!" Ryan greeted Jim happily.

"Omigod Jim, I can't believe you're back!" Kelly squealed excitedly.

"It's great to be back," Jim nodded, still smiling.

Pam took the opportunity to sit back down at her desk and slow her speeding heart.

***

Life was just a series of disappointments, Pam knew. Disappointment was when your best friend just gets up and leaves without even saying goodbye. Or when you lose all hope of seeing him again. But the beauty of karma was that the disappointment can still be redeemed through the good things. Pam thought that karma was finally on her side when Jim had hugged her back with the same love and warmth she hugged him with. She thought that things were finally going to be right again.

But karma just seemed intent on making her suffer.

About 2 minutes after their greeting, Michael had walked out of his office and, after nearly squeezing him to death with a clingy hug, informed Jim that he had to sit somewhere else. That Ryan would still be occupying Jim's old desk. The thought of Jim not being able to see her by just a glance sideways was incredibly depressing to Pam. She felt her happiness waver ever so slightly, but she was still determined that this was going to be a good day...

The next disappointment came about thirty seconds later when she noticed him smile at Karen from across the room. She couldn't deny the fact that Karen's face seemed to positively glow as she looked back down at her work.

Only two disappointments into the day, and Pam already felt completely hopeless.

The rest of the day went by like normal, or at least as normal as it was possible to get at Dunder-Mifflin. The orientation was was just another weird lark by Michael Scott, that nobody except for the new transfers were surprised by. Pam went home that day, not exactly happy with how the day went. But she knew that tomorrow would be better. She just knew it.

***

Pam walked into the office the next morning with a new cardigan and high hopes for the day to come. She hung her jacket up and sat down at her desk, turning her computer on. She looked around the room, trying to see who was all there. There were a few new transfer people she had yet to meet properly, Angela, Dwight, Creed, and Karen were all sitting at their desks. Pam wondered vaguely when Jim would arrive as she began checking the phones for voicemails.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Karen make her way toward her. Pam tried concentrating on the voicemail she was listening to and willed her to walk away. If she hadn't witnessed that little smile-fest between her and Jim yesterday, she might've felt differently. But she saw it and had to deal with it. And she didn't want Karen there to rub it in her face.

"Hey Pam," Karen walked up to her desk and smiled down at the receptionist.

Wishful thinking never works. Pam should have figured that out already. "Hey," she said politely.

"Do you want to grab a coffee from the break room with me?"

Pam, even though she had less-than-friendly feelings toward Karen at the moment, couldn't help but be flattered. "Sure," she said brightly before getting up and following Karen towards the indicated room.

Her and Karen chatted pleasantly as Karen fixed herself a cup of coffee and Pam, her cup of tea. She was actually enjoying her company, and forgetting why she was so sulky in the first place.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Karen asked while she waited for the coffee to brew. Pam nodded, sipping her tea.

"How long would you say you've known Jim?"

Whatever Pam thought the question was, it wasn't that. She sputtered out her tea, and coughed slightly before asking as casually as she could, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I know he worked here before for a while. But how well would you say you know him?"

Pam said, a little uncomfortable, "I, uh, don't know. We were pretty good friends before he left..." Pam flushed, realizing what she said. The last thing she wanted Karen to know was her problems with Jim.

But Karen seemed happy by her answer, "So you know him pretty well?"

"Sure," Pam looked at her suspiciously. Where was she going with this?

Karen looked kind've anxious. "Do you think he'd be interested in someone like me?"

Pam stared at Karen. Disappointment Number 3 in Pam Beesly's Pathetic Life: Check.

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_You know the drill: Read and Review!!:)_


	3. War

_Thank you all for reviewing! I really appreciate the awesome support you guys give me:):)_

_This chapter is a Pam we rarely get to see in the office. Fancy New Beesly can suck it! (metaphorically, of course)._

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_

"Well?" Karen pressed, looking expectantly into Pam's eyes.

"Uh," Pam managed to squeak out.

Her worst suspicions about Karen were confirmed, and she could do no more than just sputter a syllable. She liked Jim more than as a friend; just the way Pam felt about him. Where did that leave her? Was Jim really interested in Karen? She couldn't deny the smile those two exchanged yesterday. But what about the way he hugged her? Pam's thoughts kept crashing into each other at train wreck speed while Karen smiled innocently, waiting for a response. Pam figured she should get out of this as soon as possible.

"I...don't think I'm the right person to ask..." Pam made a move towards the door.

Karen stepped in her path, "Come on, you said you knew him pretty well. Plus I _think _he likes me. But I don't know if he's going to make the first move..."

Pam suddenly felt sick, upon having to hear that, and she wanted nothing more than to run to the bathroom. If only Karen knew... Pam hoped with all her heart that Karen wouldn't find out. This could definitely get messy.

"Um, I have to check the phones," Pam made another attempt to escape, but Karen was adamant.

"C'mon, please?" Karen pleaded with Pam, and Pam felt her body break out in a cold sweat.

"Look, I barely know you..." Pam tried to downplay this, and luckily Karen understood.

"I know, and I'm sorry for asking so much from you when I hardly know you either. But I'm kind've short of friends right now. My mother and sister are AWOL, and all my other friends are in Connecticut. I really need some good advice with this."

Pam suddenly was overcome with fear. Yes, Karen was desperate for advice. She was going to do all she could to get Jim to notice her. Pam knew that even after three years of a friend-crush could be forgotten with a girl who was prettier, smarter, and all around _better _than the first. The thought made her want to cry.

"Please?" Karen was whispering now.

Pam just sighed, utterly defeated.

"I...I guess," she mumbled, almost incoherently, but Karen seemed to understand, for she smiled widely.

Karen checked her watch, "I have about 10 minutes freetime right now," she said before sitting down at one of the tables. She pulled out a second chair and patted it welcomingly.

Pam was suddenly frightened. Did she really want advice so soon? "Um, I really have to go to the bathroom right now though. I'll just be a minute." Karen nodded, and Pam practically dove for the door.

Once safely inside the bathroom, Pam sank into the couch, and it took all of her energies not to burst out crying right then and there. Instead she lay down, pressed her cheek up against the arm of the couch, and buried her head in a pillow. She hoped with all her heart she would just melt into the cushions and never be heard from again. Why did she have to agree to give advice to Karen?? Was she really going to give advice to a woman who was trying to get noticed by the man Pam loved? And Karen didn't even know! Pam groaned when she realized, if she walked back out there (and she had to at one point), Karen was going to ask all these personal questions about Jim. And if she answered them, Karen was _sure _to find out about her true feelings! She was doomed.

Pam got up from the couch and walked over to the mirror, letting the pillow drop down by her feet. She looked at herself in the glass and took a deep, shuddering breath. She tried to formulate a plan in her head, but came up blank. Pam turned on the faucet and splashed some water on her face, but all that did was get her all wet. She merely looked at herself in the mirror again, defeated and dripping. Why couldn't she come up with any sort of idea on what to say?

Pam tried thinking again, and finally her brain seemed to start working at some level. She started exploring her options, and decided that there were only two ways to go with this: give good advice, or give bad advice. It all came down to how honest Pam was going to be to Karen.

Karen. Karen likes Jim. _Her _Jim. The Jim _she _is in love with.

The Pam in the mirror was growing more and more defiant. "I'm not losing him again," she whispered to her reflection.

And she wouldn't.

She quickly grabbed some paper towels and dried her face. Turning toward the door, she squared her shoulders, and walked back outside with a look of determination on her face.

***

"Okay, what do you want to know?"

Pam had reentered the break room with a fire of fierce determination burning in the pit of her stomach. Karen looked rather startled at her abruptness, but grinned anyway. She was just grateful to get advice on this.

"Well, first sit down," Karen chuckled little bit that Pam was just standing over her like a watchful mom. She pushed the chair next to her out again and patted it.

Pam sat down next to her, "What do you want to know?" she repeated.

"Um, well...I guess I just want to know more about him. We were friends for a bit in Stamford, and we had fun. But what do you think he looking for in a girl?"

Pam feigned looking thoughtful, but was actually thinking up a lie, "Well, I'm not really sure...but I guess somone like Jim would be into a real party animal." She pulled this lie out of nowhere, but decided to go with it.

Karen looked shocked, "Really?"

"Oh, yeah! He's _definitely _one to party every night. I remember before he left Scranton he would brag about some parties that would go till like 4 am..."

Karen nodded resolutely, making a mental checklist, "Party animal...so he likes a girl to be kinda wild."

"Oh, no doubt," Pam nodded assuredly, "One that's totally professional during work, but a complete party animal after."

Pam's heart was beating uncomfortably fast at lying to Karen's face. She was nervous beyond belief that Karen would find out she wasn't telling the truth. There was a good chance that Karen would catch her lying, and Pam was trying to prevent that from happening for as long as possible.

"Right, what else?" Karen looked to Pam, as if she had all the secrets to the universe.

"Well..." Pam pretended to hesitate, and Karen leaned in closer, "I guess, with Jim...you should probably play hard-to-get."

Karen looked a little confused, "Didn't we do that in, like, 8th grade?"

Pam felt a hot flush of embarressment creep up her neck, but ignored it, "Oh no, people still do that. I remember Jim started dating his old girlfriend Katy because she acted all aloof around him. He thought that was _very _appealing." Pam felt even more uncomfortable at the mention of his ex-girlfriend, but ignored this too. She knew she was going to have to endure being uncomfortable for a very long time.

"Wow," Karen just had a second to digest this new information before Oscar poked his head into the room.

"Hey Oscar," Pam said brightly. She was happy, and why shouldn't she be? Karen had bought her story. It was practically a miracle, and if there was one person on this earth that needed a miracle, it would be Pam.

"Hey Pam, Karen," Oscar greeted them both. "Michael's looking for you two. And by that I mean he's treating us all to many, erm, _wonderful_ jokes about women."

"Oh, okay. We'll be right out," Karen smiled at him. Oscar smiled back politely and left.

"We should go," Pam made a move to get up. She wanted to leave this room and go back to her desk, where hopefully Jim was sitting only a few feet away.

"Okay," Karen grabbed her coffee mug and stood up too. She led the way to the door, but stopped just short of it.

"But...just to reiterate: I should just ignore him?"

Pam smiled, "Like he's not even there."

Karen still looked skeptical, "And you're sure that's going to work?"

"Definitely."

Karen smiled, "Okay, thanks Pam." She turned back to the door, and walked out.

Pam watched Karen's retreating back with a small smile on her face, "No problem," she whispered.

There was no time for remorse. Because, like she said, this was war.

This was war, and Pam was determined to win.

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_Do me a solid and review. Please?_


	4. Pranks

_Your support is AMAZING! Thank you all:)_

_This chapter...JAM!:) I loved writing this, so I hope you love reading it:)_

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For several hours, Pam watched Karen with a nervous eye. Nothing had happened yet with her and Jim, but Pam knew it was only a matter of time.

She had been thinking about what she had told Karen in the break room that morning. Sure, it was mean and cruel and unfair, but Pam couldn't back out now. She wasn't going to mess up what she and Jim had.

But that was the thing: what _did _Jim and her have? Pam's eyes drifted to the still-unfamiliar back and neck of Jim slouched over his work. She hadn't _really_ talked to him since that phone-call about a month ago, and that conversation wasn't even face-to-face.

Pam's mind wandered to a memory that involved poker and parking lots and life-changing risks, but forced herself to stay in the present with a small shake of her head. No time for revisiting her most heartbreaking memories; there was no point to that.

Instead, Pam just looked at the back of Jim's head and tried to think of the last thing they said to each other. It was yesterday, and completely normal and friendly. He was just standing at the copier when he said it:

"_Nice day out today."_

"_Yeah."_

"_I hear tomorrow's gonna be thunderstorms, though."_

"_You gonna be ready for that?"_

"_I don't know...but I'll bring my thunderstorm survival kit to work just in case."_

"_Smart. Do you have any extra survival kits I could borrow?"_

"_No, but I'll ask Dwight if he has any for you."_

"_Thank you."_

That was it. Just safe, little jokes they told each other. It was wonderful and depressing at the same time, and Pam wondered if that was all her and Jim were going to do from now on.

She didn't want to be caught staring at him, so she began typing up a "report" (downloadable madlibs) for Michael. She worked until about lunch, when out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jim getting up and walking to the break room.

Pam began thinking fast.

She knew that if she didn't follow through on this whole plan, that she was just being very mean to a certain coworker. She had to go the whole nine yards with it. She had to see it through till the end.

She had to go and try to talk to Jim.

She couldn't believe that something that used to be so simple suddenly became so hard. She used to love talking to Jim (she realizes now how much more she loved talking to Jim at work than spending a whole weekend alone with her ex-fiancee). She would constantly daydream about what it would be like to go home to him, and the next thing she knew an hour would've gone by. Those dreams kept her sane over the 5 months Jim had been gone, but now the real Jim would have to take Daydream Jim's place. Daydream Jim may be perfect in every way, but he wasn't going to make her happy like the real Jim would.

Pam gulped and tried to swallow her fear. She reached into a drawer and pulled out an old, yellow legal pad with words and doodles scribbled all over the surface. Clutching it to her chest, she stood up and made her way to the break room. If this plan didn't work, then she didn't know what would.

***

Pam walked in to see Jim sitting at a table alone sipping coffee and reading a magazine. He looked up and smiled when he saw Pam in the doorway.

"Hey Pam," he said casually. It made her heart speed up.

"Hey," she said quietly. Boldly, it seemed, she walked up to his table and sat down across from him.

Jim seemed a little startled, "Oh," he said automatically before turning back to his magazine, obviously uncomfortable.

"Sorry," Pam turned red, and she felt embarressment grip her stomach. This plan suddenly seemed stupid, and she wanted nothing more than to back out. She wanted to run out to the office area and admit to Karen that she had been lying before and that she was really sorry. That it was okay for Karen to go out with Jim...

But it wasn't okay, and Pam knew that. And that was what made her ignore her insecurities and set the legal pad on the table, sliding it over to Jim so he could have a look.

He looked at it curiously, "What's this?"

Pam smiled, "_This_ is the ultimate prank on Dwight. I thought of it while you were away, but I never got around to executing it. It involves evil spirits, Angela, and baby paraphenalia."

Jim looked as if all of his wildest pranking dreams have come true, "Oh my God! This is amazing! Did you think of this all by yourself?"

"Yep," Pam beamed with pride, and suddenly it was easier to talk to him. "And I have all the necessary equipment in my car. All you have to do is say the word."

Jim laughed, "Awesome! But you have to tell me what exactly your planning to do-" The door to the break room suddenly opened and in walked Karen. Oh, no...

"Hey Karen," Jim said easily, while Pam was mentally losing it. She knew how this must've looked from Karen's point-of-view: Jim and her, heads bent together and giggling. Pam's heartbeat raced as she got closer, knowing she was seconds away from being called out on being a hypocrite.

"Hey Pam," Karen said happily as she made her way to the vending machines. She scanned the list of different beverages, and settled on a Sprite, pushing the button and letting it clunk to the bottom.

Pam scrunched her eyebrows. _She didn't acknowledge Jim..._

"Um....how are you?" Jim asked Karen, not as easily this time. He was obviously wondering why she didn't say hi to him. Pam internally smiled.

Karen merely gave a little shrug as she grabbed her soda. She walked back out to the office area without another word or a glance back.

Jim looked taken aback, "What's her problem?"

"No idea," Pam said, feigning concern. This lying thing was getting easier, it seemed.

"Whatever," Jim shook his head and turned back to the prank, "Tell me what I need to do." he sounded excited, and Pam gave him a dazzling smile. She had missed her best friend.

"Well, all we have to do is convince Dwight that the spirits are telling him that Angela is pregnant..." Pam started, and for the next 10 minutes, she explained the process of her master prank. Jim clung on to her every word; laughing and making jokes at all the right places. For 10 minutes, it seemed like nothing had changed between them, and Pam felt happy. But, she knew, if things went along as planned, her and Jim would have a very different relationship than just pulling pranks and cracking jokes.

That part scared her only for a little bit, but she kept her mind on the plan, and she relaxed.

"...so when do you think we should we get started?" she finished eagerly. She wanted to savor every moment she had with Jim, but at the same time she wanted to get started with this prank as soon as possible.

"How 'bout after work today we get all this set up, so the next morning it will be ready to be put in to motion," he was anxious to pull this prank too, and Pam felt warm happiness flow through her entire body. He wanted to spend time with her.

"Sounds good."

Maybe this such wasn't a bad plan after all.

***

The day passed twice as fast for Pam now that she had something to look forward to. Before she knew it, people were saying goodbye to her as they passed her desk and walked out the door, leaving for the day. Pam said goodbye to each of them with a smile on her face, eager for them all to be gone so her and Jim could be alone.

Finally, it was just the two of them in the office. Jim got up from his desk and walked up to Pam's, leaning over it just like how he used to.

"You ready?"

Pam smiled. "Yeah."

"You have the stuff in your car?"

"Yeah, I'll go get them."

"Cool."

Pam practically skipped around her desk and out the door. She was so happy to be plotting pranks again with her best friend! For the first time that day, Karen was the furthest thing from her mind.

* * *

_Next chapter: The Prank!!:) Please review and tell me what you think! _


	5. Suspicion

_Pranks are so much fun, aren't they?? I love writing about them too:) I should totally play this prank on someone someday..._

_Well, anyway, this chapter is from Karen's POV. So enjoy!:)_

* * *

Karen didn't think of herself as smart or pretty or sophisticated; it just wasn't like her to be full of herself. If a guy told her she was smart or pretty, she would brush it off as some stupid tactic he used to try to get laid. It wasn't like she was insecure about herself, no. She just never really thought about herself as that kind of person. But, over time, as people kept telling her she was pretty or smart or sophisticated, she eventually began to believe it. She began believing that she could get any guy she wanted, so in college she started dressing cuter and wearing more make-up and practically becoming someone else. Her friends started following her lead, and soon, they were all the hottest girls on campus. Karen's self-esteem couldn't be touched.

After she graduated, Karen finally toned it down a bit. She wore less make-up and less revealing clothes, but still maintained the same air of invincibility she gained through her college years. All that turned her into a smart, powerful, and professional woman that could get any guy she wanted.

She liked who she had become. Her life would have been enviable if not for the one thing missing that was most important: someone to share it with. Someone like her being single would have been guys asking her out to drink almost every night. Sometimes they did, but she would always turn them down.

She would because of a certain salesman she knew and had her eyes on.

She hadn't known Jim for very long, but she knew that she wanted him to ask her out. She could tell: he was the real deal. He was smart and handsome and sophisticated (you know, without the whole 'pranking' thing he did), and seemed to like her for who she was. He was almost perfect.

She didn't know what was taking him so long to ask her out. Was he nervous? Was he already in a relationship? She hoped that wasn't the case. It would just be a waste of 5 months turning down guys who seemed genuinely interested in her.

She needed help, so she turned to the Scranton receptionist Pam. Pam was really nice, and told Karen to how to deal with Jim. Playing hard-to-get seemed a little immature, but Pam would know. She's known Jim for, what... 3 years? Karen's going to trust her judgement on this one.

But, the thing was, it's been a while and their was no sign that Jim was even remotely interested in her. It was becoming more and more frustrating, so Karen decided to confront Pam about her theory. It was time to get some answers.

***

Karen walked into the breakroom to find Pam sitting alone at a table, eating a yogurt. She walked over to her, her face set in a frown.

Pam looked up from her snack and smiled, "Hey Karen, what's up?"

"Look, I need your advice again," Karen said, immediately sitting down next to her.

Pam gulped, "Yeah?"

"Actually, it's advice on your first advice," Karen corrected. Pam merely scrunched her eyebrows. "I don't think it's working. I've been ignoring him, like you said, but he isn't responding at all. In fact, I think he's ignoring me too." Karen finished, a little sad.

Pam was silent.

"Well?" Karen pressed, a little annoyed. Why wasn't she helping? She was supposed to be helping her with this!

Pam suddenly looked nervous, "Well what?"

Karen breathed hard through her nose, and Pam seemed to recoil a bit. "You know what? Never mind." Karen lept up from her seat and stalked towards the door.

Pam suddenly became alive as her eyes seemed to pop out of her head her body became rigid. "What are you doing?!" she demanded, louder than she intended.

Karen stopped and looked at her, "I'm going to ask Jim out for a drink tonight." she said as if it were obvious.

Pam became as white as a ghost, "No!!" she shouted, and lept up from her seat. She dropped her yogurt and it fell to the floor, spilling over the carpet.

Karen just stared, dumbfounded. Pam, embarressed by her outburst, went quiet. There was an awkward silence.

"What's the matter with me asking him out for a drink?" Karen asked incredulously.

"N-Nothing," Pam stuttered quietly, and picked at a fingernail. She then pressed her lips together in a determined line. "I just don't think he'll say yes."

Karen must have had to hurt show on her face, because Pam quickly said, "But it's only a matter of time! I mean, if you keep up the act, I'm positive he'll ask you out."

Karen just stared, "How long is this going to take?" she asked simply.

Pam bit her lip, "I don't know; it takes time. But he'll come around, and you'll be happy when he does." Pam smiled assuredly, but her eyes still looked nervous.

Karen wasn't convinced quite yet, "Are you sure?"

Pam nodded once, "Positive."

Karen smiled. Because it may have been a dumb theory, but Pam was there for her. And that was what mattered. Pam could help her through things even if Jim didn't feel the same way, and, once again, Karen was grateful.

***

The next day Karen came in early for some paperwork she forgot to give to a client. She thought she would be the only one there when she walked in, but was surprised to see both Jim and Pam there, sitting at their desks. Karen ignored her confusion while greeting Pam (and ignoring Jim), because it was probably just a coincidence.

She sat down and began making calls and sorting through her folders. After about 2 minutes, a giggle erupted from the other side of the room, and Karen looked up. Pam was covering up her mouth in a desperate attempt to hold in her laughter. She was looking at the back of Jim's head (cause that was all she could see from her desk), and snorted. Jim turned around so he was facing her and chuckled at her fruitless attempt at holding in her laughter. Pam sucked in a lungful of air and blew it out, as another attempt to calm down, and she quieted. Suddenly, Jim lay his head on his desk as if he were sleeping, and, for whatever reason, Pam erupted into giggles all over again.

Karen quickly realized she was staring and turned back to her computer, frowning. She didn't understand what she was seeing. Was Pam really flirting with Jim? No, that was impossible. Pam was helping _her _get with Jim, and Pam wasn't one to backstab. Karen knew that, even if she had only known Pam for about a week and a half.

Karen knitted her eyebrows as she glanced up at the two of them again. No question they were having fun, but was it a little too _much _fun? She didn't know...

Karen ended up comforting herself with the fact that Pam once mentioned that her and Jim were pretty good friends. That was it: _just friends_. Pam hadn't seen Jim for months, and she was probably just catching up with him after all this time. That was all, it was nothing serious. Just two friends having a laugh.

Karen finally was able to concentrate long enough to send out that fax she had come in early for, and went back to work.

***

The day was passing in its normal state of exhausted weirdness. Karen checked her watch: 11:43 am. Only six hours and seventeen minutes till she was free of this place. Karen sighed as she turned back to her files.

"DAMMIT JIM!"

Karen looked up to see Dwight standing over his desk with a baby blanket clutched in his hand. The blanket was light blue with a cute yellow duckie on it and "It's A Boy!" written in swirly letters. Jim looked smugly up at his deskmate.

"What's up buddy?"

"How did this get into my desk drawer!?"

"How did what get into your your desk drawer?"

"This...this..._thing,_" he held the blanket away from him like it was infected. "Did you put it there??"

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't lie to me!"

"Well, I'm not lying."

"Yes you are!"

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are!!"

Jim sighed, "Dwight, we can do this all day long, but the fact remains that I did not put anything anywhere near your desk."

Dwight glared suspiciously at Jim, until he slowly sat back down. "All right Jim, I'll believe you this time, because I know that even a deviant like you is capable of telling the truth once in awhile."

Jim tried to hold back a smirk as he went back to work.

About thirty seconds later there was a loud, "What the...?" from Dwight's desk and Karen looked up to see him gazing into another one of his drawers. Karen stood up and saw at least 15 baby bottles stuffed inside it. Jim stood up and looked inside too.

"I don't see anything, Dwight."

Dwight looked up incredulously, "What are you talking about? There's like a million bottles in here!"

Jim looked inside again, "No there's not. That drawer's empty."

Dwight just froze. He looked inside again, then slowly sat down. Karen could see, even from her strange angle, that Dwight had lost all color in his face.

He, slowly and shakily, reached for another drawer and opened it. It was filled to the brim with pacifiers. Dwight turned back to Jim.

"Do you see this?" Jim shook his head.

He turned to Ryan, "Do you?"

"I'm on the phone," Ryan said distractedly.

Dwight turned back to his desk, and started breathing heavily through his nose. With a look of determination, Dwight clenched his fist and, with his other hand, slowly and cautiously opened the last drawer.

He jumped about a foot in the air when the loud shrieks of a crying baby could be heard from inside it. It was obviously a recording, but Dwight seemed convinced that it was all in his head. He began pacing back and forth with a look of madness on his face; running his fingers through his hair and grunting every so often.

Jim was staring at Dwight. He was going for a weirded out look, but his small smile gave him away. But not that Dwight noticed.

And finally, to top the whole prank off, Dwight's screensaver popped on. Dwight stopped in his tracks just to stare at what was on his monitor.

There it flashed a picture of a baby, then Angela, then the word PREGNANT in bright letters; then again. The loop went around at a fast-paced speed, but Dwight got the picture.

"Um...I have to go...to um...the store," Dwight lept up and sprinted out the door, grabbing his keys and wallet on the way.

Jim stood up and walked over to Dwight's desk to turn off the baby crying recording. He took out the the little recorder and walked over to Pam's desk. He leaned over it and rested his elbows on the surface, both of them laughing about the successful prank they had just pulled off.

Karen, who had been grinning all through this little prank, suddenly felt a clench in her stomach. Her smile slipped away as she watched the twosome chuckling over their joke, and hoped with all her heart that nothing was going on between those two.

Even though she knew nothing was.

Right?

* * *

_Reviews are as awesome as Kevin's band!!:)_


	6. Busted

_Yay!! I love reviews:) Keep 'em coming!_

_This chapter: Little bit of Karen POV, then mostly Pam's. Angsty drama ensues...enjoy!_

* * *

For two weeks, Karen watched Pam and Jim with a suspicious eye. She knew that nothing was going on between them, but she couldn't deny the nervous feeling she got when she saw them both hang out at reception or chat in the kitchen. Karen knew her fears were pointless, because there was _no way_ they were dating. I mean, why would Pam do that to her? When Karen had unloaded all that stuff to her about how much she wished Jim would ask her out? It would have been absurd, to think that Pam was that kind of person. I mean, Pam was sweet and kind and...

Karen glanced up again and watched Jim and Pam giggle over something Pam was holding. They stood by the copier with their heads bent togther. They looked like they were in their own little world, smiling and laughing at whatever Pam was showing him.

The sight made Karen feel a little sick.

"He likes you, you know."

Karen jumped slightly, and blushed. She looked to her left and noticed Phyllis watching her, smiling. Karen couldn't decide between feeling flattered or embarressed at being caught staring at Jim. She just looked at her quizically.

Phyllis smiled lightly. "I've known Jim for quite some time. And I can tell when he likes someone. He likes you." she assured her.

Karen's slight embarressment was quickly squashed as her heart soared. A smile lit her face as she wrapped her mind around the fact that Jim _actually _liked her. So her fears were pointless, and Phyllis thought that Jim liked her...

He _liked _her! She could listen those three words all day long...

"And its about time too," Phyllis continued, turning back to her desk. "He was hung up on Pam for so long, I didn't think he'd ever get over her, even after he left for Stamford. And she seemed to take his departure pretty hard too. But, now they're friends again," Phyllis glanced at the pair at the copy machine, "And he can get himself back out there. Thank goodness, right?" Phyllis smiled at Karen.

But Karen didn't hear anything Phyllis said after due to her hopes and dreams crashing before her eyes.

**********

"These are amazing!"

"I know, aren't they?"

"How did you manage to get pictures of him finding the blanket without anyone noticing?!"  
"You should know better than to doubt my abilites, Jim," Pam said with all seriousness.

"Ah, yes. Forgive me..." Jim smirked.

Pam laughed and her heart felt warm. Taking photos of Dwight's expressions during the prank was one of the smartest things she had ever done. Yes it was pretty funny, but the main reason she did it was so her and Jim could laugh about it over the copy machine after. Which was what they were doing now.

"Did you get a picture of him finding the pacifiers? I saw his face during that part, it was priceless!"

"Comin' right up..."

Jim laughed at the picture of Dwight's stark-white face looking down at his desk. He bent his head and chuckled into his chest. His floppy, brown hair was inches from her face, and she was this close to closing her eyes and resting her cheek on his head, she was that content being with him. She probably would have too, if a distraction hadn't come in the form of Karen Fillipelli.

Karen walked up to them briskly, only staring at Pam. Her mouth was set in a firm line, and her eyes looked like they were going to shoot fire. Pam had only seen that expression on one other person before, and she was in the kitchen having a back-to-back conversation with Dwight.

"Hey Karen," Pam said, a little uneasily. This Karen was freaking her out a little.

Karen glared at Pam for a second longer before turning her attention to Jim. "Hey Jim, how are you?" Her light-hearted tone did not match the expression on her face, which Pam found to be weird. What was with Karen?

Wait a second...why was she talking to _Jim_?? Wasn't she supposed to be ignoring him or something?

"Hey Karen," Jim said conversationally, flipping through some of the photos in his hands, "Did you see these pictures Pam took? They're pretty good."

"Maybe later," Karen smiled up at Jim. Jim grinned back, which made Pam's confusion turn to jealousy. Why was Karen suddenly talking to Jim again? Pam needed to get her out of here.

"Did you need anything Karen?" Pam asked as politely as she could, but Karen's eyes turned cold as she fixed her with a hard stare. What was _with _her today?

"I need to borrow you for a second," she said, still staring at Pam with those cold, dark eyes. Pam suddenly felt frightened, knowing nothing good was going to come from this conversation.

"'Kay," Pam said meekly, handing Jim the rest of the photos. She then followed Karen back to breakroom, shuffling her feet and bowing her head slightly. She looked like a bad puppy following its owner to be punished.

When they got there, Pam couldn't help but feel extremely nervous. She began wringing her hands and felt sweat pool on her upper lip as Karen turned and around and looked at Pam again.

"What's up?" Pam tried to keep her voice from cracking, but was failing miserably.

"Oh, what's up??" Karen put her hands firmly on her hips and continued to glare with the fire of a thousand suns, "I'll tell you what's up. I was just talking to Phyllis and she said something very interesting. Do you know what that might be?"

Pam couldn't do much more than stare back into Karen's eyes, trying not to look intimidated, even though she so was.

"She said, first of all, that Jim likes me. As more than a friend," Karen said with her glares still in place.

Pam managed to smile, "That's great!" She tried to sound happy for her so that she could leave. Even though she knew it wasn't the whole story.

"Yeah, and she also mentioned that he was so hung up on you that she didn't think he'd ever get over it."

Oh.

The silence was excruciating. It pressed against Pam's eardrums and made them pound along with the beating of her heart. Karen's features became fuzzy as Pam's vision began to blur and her fear mounted. The only thought that ran through Pam's head was _She knew. She knew. She knew._

Oh God, she knew!!

A lump began to grow in Pam's throat as Karen continued to stare at Pam. Why did she have to keep looking at her like that?

"Oh?" Pam said quietly, hoping she sounded more curious than scared.

"Yeah," Karen said back quietly, her angry demeanor wavering ever so slightly.

The silence washed over them again, and Pam began to think fast. First off, how did Phyllis know all this about Jim? Did Jim talk to her about it? Or was she just being the silent observer she usually was? Did she really believe that Jim liked Karen? How long had she known? The questions kept rolling through Pam's mind like on a conveyor belt, one by one. But, unfortunately, Pam didn't have any of the answers.

For once, Karen wasn't staring at Pam. She just looked towards the door with a faraway look in her eyes, biting her lip. She suddenly spoke:

"Did you know?" Karen's eyes drifted back to Pam's, and they locked. Pam gulped.

"Know what?"

"That he liked you."

Pam suddenly felt trapped. She wanted to say yes, but then she would look terrible for lying to Karen about all those other things. If she lied and said no, then she would just be digging deeper into the hole she had dug herself into. She opted for silence.

Karen seemed to understand what Pam wanted to say, for she turned towards the vending machines with her hand pressed to her forehead. A humorless chuckle escaped her lips.

"I can't believe you," she said quietly. Pam felt guilt wash over her and tears spring into her eyes. She had to redeem herself.

"Karen, I'm sorry..."

"No!" Karen whipped her head around suddenly and looked at Pam with large, hurt eyes. "I don't want to hear it, okay? I've heard enough lies since I came here! I've been made an idiot out of enough since I moved here. I ask for a little help, and what do I get? Bullcrap. _That's _what I get!"  
Pam was quiet. She knew Karen was right.

"What were you hoping to accomplish with this? Did you think that once you got me to stop talking to Jim, you would have him all to yourself? Is that what you thought?"

Pam's eye's went wide, "No...!" she lied quickly. Karen saw right through it.

"Oh, please," she scoffed, "Even someone behind a brick wall could see you were flirting with him! I just can't believe you had the audacity to do it in the _office_ with me sitting there, watching the entire exchange! I mean, was that your master plan?! To have pleasant conversations with him in the office enough that he might actually begin to like you again??"

"I'm sorry!" Pam wailed again, feeling tears begin to stream down her face. The plan suddenly seemed stupid to her now, and she hoped that Karen would forgive her. She was uneasy with this plan from the start, and she knew that at some point Karen would find out. She just prayed that it wasn't too late.

Karen took a step forward, staring at Pam full in the face. "Look, you obviously have some problems of your own to work out, which you should do on your own time. Next time, leave me out of them."

Pam looked up and stared back at Karen, whose angry face was a mere two feet from her own. Pam felt indignancy grow within her, and the tears stopped streaming down her face. Is that what she thought this was? Just crazy-talk from a heartbroken little girl?! Karen had no _idea _what she was getting herself into! It wasn't her place to talk to her about Jim, even though she was totally oblivious to what was going on.

Pam was about to defend her actions when there was a soft tapping at the door.

Pam whipped her head around to see Jim standing at the doorway, looking at both of them with a worried expression. For the first time ever, Pam didn't want him to be there.

"Is everything okay?" he asked slowly, glancing between the two. He had probably heard Karen shouting.

"Yep," Karen said in a faux chipper voice, "Everything's cool," Pam turned to see Karen look at Jim, then glance back at her. She lifted her head, and turned back to Jim.

"Hey, Jim?" Karen asked, sidestepping Pam and walking towards him.

"Yeah?"

Karen glanced back at Pam and looked up at Jim again, stopping in front of him, "If your not doing anything later, do you want to grab a drink with me?"

Pam felt her blood turn stone-cold.

"Oh," Jim sounded a little startled by her abruptness, but smiled all the same, "Yeah, sure."

"Great. How 'bout Poor Richards at seven?"

"Sounds good."

"Good," Karen gave Pam one last glance before squeezing past Jim, who was standing in the doorway, and heading back to her desk.

Pam and Jim were left alone in the breakroom together. Jim was looking at Pam, but Pam was too ashamed to look back at him. She looked down, and rushed through the side door leading out of the breakroom, hoping to God she wouldn't burst into tears before she reached the women's bathroom.

* * *

_I know it was super-angsty, but its all part of the story. Even though I'd rather give Pam to Jim right away and end this madness, it can't happen:( so please review, and please don't yell at me for killing your hopes and dreams... _


	7. Three Stories

_What's going to happen??? I want to know as much as you do!_

_This chapter is a little different. It starts out as how the rest of the day goes from Karen's POV, then Pam's, then for the first time ever, Jim's. Makes the chapter more interesting, I think..._

_So just read and enjoy:_

* * *

She had to admit, it felt nice to get a win.

All her life, Karen always loved to win. In grade school sports, in her homework, and even in her obscure little battles: like finding a lost pencil. Winning, even if it was just victoriously embracing a stupid writing utensil that was wedged under a couch, made her happy. In her mind, losing just wasn't an option.

That's why she had worked so hard to get Jim to like her. Losing him wasn't a way to go. She was willing to fight for him till the end; until she won.

Karen luxuriously leaned back in her desk chair, a small smile on her face. Knowing she was going out for a drink with the man of her dreams in a few hours, and she felt she had won.

Karen watched Jim walk back to his desk, his expression unreadable. He glanced up at her and smiled weakly before sitting down at his desk to get some work done. Karen smiled fully back, looking forward to going out with him later that day.

_He was hung up on Pam for so long, I didn't think he'd ever get over her..._

Phyllis' words suddenly filled Karen's mind, and she felt a little bit of guilt clench her stomach. Phyllis said that Jim liked Pam, then left for Stamford. Wait, did he leave _because_ of Pam? Karen glanced back at Jim, who was staring at his computer a little too hard to be natural. Her eyes shifted to the receptionist area behind him, but Pam wasn't there. She was probably pouting in the breakroom still or something.

_She seemed to take his departure pretty hard too..._

Karen knew that Pam liked Jim. She could see it in her eyes. And the way Pam reacted when she asked out Jim just made it obvious, and he would have to be a complete idiot not to be able to read her face when she said that. Karen had no idea if Jim still liked Pam like that, or if this was even a situation she wanted to get herself into. But this was war.

And Karen was determined to win.

**********

Remember when Pam said that life was just a series of disappointments? Well, she was wrong. She was wrong because the stabbing, guilty, terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach and head couldn't merely be described as disappointment. Pam now knew: life was just downright torture.

Pam lay down on the couch in the bathroom, once again buried in pillows. A used tissue was wadded up in her hand, but she hadn't needed to use it for a good 5 minutes now. The tears were all gone, and all that was left was an air of pathetic hopelessness hovering around her and tiny bathroom she barricaded herself in. Pam hoped vaguely that nobody else would walk in (Angela had already come in with an odd glare in her direction). But at this moment, Pam didn't even care if Michael saw her like this.

Her sadness came from two places: from lying and trying to cheat Karen out of a boyfriend, and from her asking Jim out for drinks the moment she found out Pam was a complete liar. Pam still couldn't believe she had the ability to do that to another person. Pam felt another swell of tears in her eyes, but fought it back. It was pathetic enough that she was crying in the bathroom, alone. She didn't need to make matters worse for herself.

Slowly, Pam brushed the pillows off of herself and pushed herself into a sitting position. She ran her hands over her curly hair to make sure it wasn't too snarly, then ran her hands over her outfit to smooth out any wrinkles. She seemed to come to her senses a little, and realized that it wouldn't help anything to just lie down and wish everything away. She knew she had to do something at one point.

Heavily, Pam heaved herself up to stand, and she slowly walked over to the mirror over the sink. For a minute, she just looked at her appearance. Her hair was messed up, her eyes were bloodshot, and her expression was heartbroken. She gave a small sigh before turning on the faucet and splashing water onto her face, waking herself up from her pity-party. Not having a comb, she wet her fingers and pulled them through her hair, hoping her hair looked less disheveled then it did on a normal basis.

Pam took one last glance at herself before turning to the door and readying herself for the war zone of an office she was about to walk into.

**********

When it came to women, Jim Halpert thought he knew a thing or two.

I mean, he'd spent over three years getting to know a certain receptionist (and falling in love with her, but that's not the point. Not really), and he liked to think he understood her well. He knew she hated her job, Michael, hunting, ads for Six Flags, cheesy postcards, Route 66 souvenirs, frisbees, Todd Packer, organized sports, and haunted house rides. And he knew that she loved art, mixed berry yogurt, romantic comedies, the color pink, daffodils, the psychic network...

Well, yeah. You get the picture.

When Jim met Karen, he thought that, if he understood Pam, he could easily understand Karen . Pam and her were alike in more ways than one. He got along with Karen pretty well, and he thought she was pretty cool. She was smart, funny, sophisticated, and seemed to genuinely like him. She would be the ideal girl for him. He even convinced her to come to Scranton with him.

Even Jim knew he was moving too fast with this girl, even though they weren't technically a couple. When they got to Scranton, Jim lost his nerve of asking her out, because every time he tried to, a petite, curly-haired receptionist would pop up in his brain and kill his confidence.

He felt like, in a weird way, he was betraying Pam. It was ridiculous, because he was the one who got his heart broken at Casino Night, not her, and he was free to date anyone he liked. He could ask out Karen if he wanted to, he just had to gather his nerve first...

He was pleasantly surprised when Karen popped out of nowhere to ask him out, and he accepted. He felt a little stupid for not doing it first, but it was nice that he could actually get to know this woman outside of work.

That was, until he saw the look on Pam's face when she overheard everything.

He had one glimpse of her devestated face, and Jim found himself right where he was 3 years ago. He wished he could take his answer back, right then and there. He wanted to hold her and tell her that he didn't like Karen, and that Karen could never replace her, and that he still loved her...

He didn't say anything, and Pam ran out of that room with her head down, leaving Jim alone and feeling like crap.

Jim walked back to his desk, shooting Karen a small, fake smile as he sat down. He began to work, but not really paying attention to anything. All he could see was Pam's hurt face bowed down and a curtain of reddish-brown hair hiding it from view as she ran out the door, away from him.

Jim turned in his seat to look at reception, but she still wasn't there. Jim then turned back around to look at Karen, who was wearing a small smile as she typed up some reports on her computer.

Yeah, Jim understood women, but the only thing he couldn't understand what the hell he was going to do now.

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_I know, lame ending right? Whatever, I miss writing for Jim. I feel like I haven't for forever. Well, please reveiw and tell me what you think:P _


	8. Date

_thank you so much for reading:) Your support is like the best thing ever!!!_

_Now, without further ado, chapter eight--_

Disclaimer: I do not own The Office or House, though this is not a crossover.

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Karen checked her watch: 7:14 pm. He was late.

She nervously sat alone at the bar of Poor Richards, sipping at a Smirnoff Ice. She took a risk that night and pulled her hair into a high, sexy ponytail, and made doubly sure that it hung straight down and didn't curl at the ends. For her clothes, she decided on a brown blazer and a tan, sequined tank underneath. She had borrowed her friend's dark-wash jeans to finish the outfit off. She knew she looked really good, even without make-up, but decided on some dark lipstick and eyeliner anyway. She felt like she was back in college, trying to impress the coolest boy on campus.

Karen didn't want to appear desperate, but she found herself glancing at the door every few seconds anyway. She was wondering what was taking so long for him to get here, and wondered vaguely if he was going to come at all. She tried not to think like that; that he was really going to stand her up, because that was just stupid. He had said yes to the date, and she had told him 7 o'clock at Poor Richards specifically. Of course he was going to come.

Karen still glanced at the door every few seconds in a vain attempt to will him to come through it. At 7:18, he finally did.

He looked good, no doubt about it. He finally ditched his work attire and went for a blue and gray striped polo t-shirt. He wore slightly tattered jeans, but they didn't make him look messy. In fact it made him look even more handsome. His eyes were bright and grayish-green against his shirt, and Karen smiled as he made his way over to her.

"Hey," she said brightly. "You made it!"

"Yeah," Jim smirked that cute little half-smile he did. He took a seat next to her and asked the bartender for a beer. When he got it, he took a small swig and turned to face Karen.

She was watching him.

Jim chuckled, "Y'know, you're not making me uncomfortable _at all_ with that staring you're doing..."

Karen smiled sheepishly, "Sorry. I'm just happy we're finally doing this." She took a tiny swig from her Smirnoff, still smiling slightly.

Jim smiled back, "Yeah..."

Jim was really easy to talk to, Karen noticed. I mean, she could always joke around with him at work in Stamford, but she didn't know what he would be like outside of work. They talked for the next hour, and she realized he wasn't very chatty, but he still laughed at all her jokes and told her about stuff going on in his life. She told him about everything: her parents, her sister, her apartment hunt, and how Michael had asked her today if she was "getting it regular" from her man...

"He did not!" Jim cracked up, while Karen giggled along with him. "What did you tell him?"

"I didn't say anything! Phyllis managed to save me by telling him that Bob Vance was coming up to visit in an hour or so."

Jim chuckled as he took a sip of his beer, "Yeah, I was wondering why he was hiding in his office for half the day. He's terrified of Bob."

"Yeah, and Bob didn't even come, remember? Phyllis just lied to save my ass," Karen added, obviously grateful for her deskmate.

"She's a nice lady," Jim smirked, "She always got me."

Karen sputtered a little on her drink as the liquid poured down her throat, and embarressedly brought the bottle down and wiped her chin clean. She looked a little troubled, and Jim noticed.

"Something wrong?"

Karen looked up, "Oh, it's nothing. It's just...something Phyllis said the other day..."

"What?"

"Nothing. Just forget it."

"No, I want to know."

"It's nothing! It just reminded me when you said that Phyllis got you, and stuff."

"Well, now you have to tell me."

"No I don't."

"Well, if it regards me, then I think I should know." Jim smiled sweetly.

Karen knew he was just joking, but he was right. He should know. She took a deep breath.

"Are you sure?"

Jim nodded.

"Okay, well...Phyllis mentioned the other day that...you, at one time, had feelings for Pam."

Jim, who was about to take a sip of his beer, froze with the bottle inches from his lips.

Karen paused, holding her breath, because she suddenly wished she hadn't said any of that. It was too personal, and stupid. Regret started seeping into her bloodstream. It carried from her heart and brain, and it traveled down to the bottoms of her feet and up to the tips of her professionally straightened hair. She needed to ammend for this.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," Karen quickly said, looking down.

"Oh, no, that's..." Jim stuttered awkwardly. He was obviously uncomfortable.

"Well, it was just..." Karen started, and Jim went quiet, "I don't know, I guess it just kind've upset me, that's all." She tried brushing it off, but to no avail. The damage was done.

"Look, Karen..." Jim started, and this time Karen went quiet, "I think _I_ should be the one to tell you the whole story. Don't you?" He smiled slightly, but Karen knew he was being completely serious.

Karen, suddenly afraid of what he was about to say, tried to make a joke out of it, "I don't know, I think Phyllis is a pretty reliable source, wouldn't you say?" she gave a weak chuckle.

Jim looked down for a second, and gave a small shake of his head. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty, tossing it onto the counter. "You know what, I think I should get going."

Karen felt as if her heart jumped up her throat and got stuck. Her eyes got wide and a scared feeling filled her entire body as Jim got up from the counter and began to walk toward the door.

"Jim, wait!!!"

Karen ran after him, forgetting to pay for her drink. Luckily, he stopped just short of the door, and she grabbed his arm to prevent him from moving any farther. "What are you doing? You can't just leave."

Jim looked worn, "I'm sorry Karen, but I don't think I'm the guy you're looking for."

Karen was blown, "What?"

Jim's eyes scanned over the entire bar before settling on an empty table near them. He led her over to it and sat down.

"Jim, what's going on?" Karen's voice shook as she lowered herself into the seat next to him. She thought the night had been going great, but then he had to blow the whole thing. She didn't understand.

Jim rubbed his face with one hand, as if exhausted. He finally began, "Look, Pam and I have a...history. And it's still rather painful to talk about, for me, anyway. It's too complicated, and I don't think it would be best if I started dating under the circumstances..."

Karen lightly set her hand on top of Jim's free one and rubbed his fingers with her thumb. "I don't mind a bit of baggage," she said with a small smile. The answer was useless, because she already knew she had lost him. It was heartbreaking and inevitable at the same time, because she already knew, from the moment she walked in on them in the office giggling over God knows what. She knew, even when she didn't want to admit it.

A chuckle escaped Jim's lips, "It's not baggage, trust me. It's just not good timing."

Karen nodded sadly and with finality.

Jim talked for another 20 minutes or so, mostly explaining everything over the past three years. Karen just nodded along, starting to understand the situation he was in, and sympathized. After, Jim said he had something to do before he turned in, and that he should probably go. Karen knew what he really meant by this, and let him. She gave him a hug, and told him to call her anytime, even if he just wanted to talk. He gave her a genuine smile as he turned and walked out the bar door, out of sight, and with Karen having only one thought in mind:

That Pam was one lucky lady.

**********

_This has to be the worst night of my life, _Pam thought dully as she pushed another dvd into her player and pressed play.

As House's sarcastic and sneering face appeared on screen, Pam couldn't help but smile a little. House was her favorite show on earth, and most nights she would curl up on her couch with a blanket and corn chips and enjoy the witty rantings of the famous limping TV character. There was something so refreshing about watching someone tell people exactly what they think, even if it was just on a TV show.

She went through the exact same motions tonight as she did every night: House, pajamas, blanket, corn chips, wishful thinking, repeat. But, of course, she still ended up still feeling like crap.

She felt like crap, because tonight was the night Jim and Karen went out on their first date. What were they doing right now? Were they laughing over drinks? Holding hands? Saying how happy they were that they were _finally_ dating? That they _finally _got that pesky receptionist out of the way...?

Pam tried to focus on the TV, where House was arguing with Cuddy about a procedure she wasn't letting him do, but was having a hard time. Images of mocking smiles and second dates kept looming up in her mind, and her brain was suddenly too full to focus on House's witty remarks.

She sighed in frustration and threw the blanket off of her. She grabbed her empty bowl and made her way to the kitchen, wanting more chips. She needed something to distract herself with.

She was just realizing that she needed to run out and buy more chips when the doorbell suddenly rang.

* * *

"_Someone's at Pam's door? Who could it be??" you whisper anxiously to yourself. Well, you'll just have to wait till the next chapter to find out who's at her door... Sorry:(_

_So buck up, quit talking to yourself, and review!_


	9. Karma

_So, here it is. At last. The final chapter. I promised myself I wouldn't cry...*sniff*_

_I would just like to thank all of you who reviewed my story so far, but I would especially like to thank _**Ainsaboo **_and _**pamelamorganhalpert**_ for their awesome reviews and support. It means a lot, so thanks a million to you guys:)_

_Now, finally, the last chapter of How to Catch a Man. Enjoy:_

* * *

"This isn't a good idea," he mumbled to himself, glancing uselessly around the dark lot. Jim Halpert balled his fists and climbed the steps to apartment 4C, stopping at the door. He checked his watch: 9:04 pm, and hoped he wasn't coming too late. His eyes traveled up to the door again, and sighed.

Jim wanted to turn back, to go back to his car, and just drive away. Away from Karen and Pam and fighting and broken hearts. He wished this situation could just magically fix itself, even though he knew it wouldn't. He thought back to his past week with Pam: pranks on Dwight, laughing over copier machines, leaning on receptionist counters. It all felt so familiar; so _right_. Jim could hardly believe he was able to deny how perfect it felt for 5 whole months. He had missed Pam over his time in Stamford, but he knew that this situation now was less than perfect. He had caused it, due to his own cowardice, and was hurting people he cared about in the process. He had to fix it.

Starting right now: at Pam's apartment.

_Love is a bitch,_ Jim thought dully as he reached out one trembling finger, and rang the doorbell.

**********

Pam gulped slightly as she checked the digital clock on her stove: 9:05 pm. Who would be coming to her door at this time? She wasn't expecting anyone. She set down the bowl as quietly as she could and tiptoed her way over to her umbrella stand next to the door. She pulled out the tallest one, with the hard plastic handle, and brought it behind her head as if ready to attack.

"Who's there?" she said harshly through the door. Images of deranged murderers and bloody weapons and being alone in the dark flashed through her mind, and her heartbeat quickened so that she could feel it pulsing in her throat. She gripped the umbrella tighter.

"It's Michael," a familiar joking voice said, muffled by the 2-inch thick door. "Have a George Foreman grill that needs fixing?"

Pam sighed in relief at hearing his voice, and smiled. She relaxed her raised arm and let it drop to her side as she opened the door.

"Hey," Jim said, smiling crookedly down at her.

"Hey," Pam said, her smile fading slightly. She suddenly seemed to realize who was at her door. _Jim _was at her door, for God's sakes! When he was supposed to be on a date with Karen, here he was, standing in her doorframe. She barely seemed to have time to process this information when Jim spoke again,

"Are you going to let me in?"

Pam's brain seemed to be working on some level, for she smiled mischeviously, "I don't think I should. You're not Michael and you're not here to fix my Foreman grill." she deliberately leaned against the doorframe, preventing him from letting him come inside.

"Why, Beesly! I may not be Michael, but who says I'm not capable of fixing a Foreman grill?" Jim shook his head, "I am disappointed with your sense of judgement."

Pam laughed out loud, and felt instantly at ease. Even though it was the dark of night and in a completely different environment, Jim always made her feel safe. She moved away and let him inside.

Pam closed the door behind them, watching Jim's every move. She watched how his eyes wandered over her entire house: from the paintings on the walls to what was playing on her TV set.

"House. Nice," Jim smiled at the brain procedure playing on the screen, "I don't care what anyone else says, I think Wilson is a complete tool."

Pam giggled automatically, but felt a small flutter of unease in her stomach. She wanted answers as to why he was here in the dead of night, making jokes about her shows.

"Um, can I get you a cup of tea or something?" Of course, she had to be polite before she got anything else. She turned around and headed towards the kitchen.

"Uh, sure. Tea sounds good." Jim shoved his hands in his pockets, looking a little uncomfortable.

"Please, sit down," Pam said quickly, realizing she forgot to offer in the first place. Jim gratefully sank into an armchair and folded his hands.

While Pam was fixing the tea in the kitchen, she tried to think of a reason as to why Jim was here. Did he leave Karen at Poor Richards? That seemed a little mean, didn't it? Pam shook her head as she poured the hot water into the mugs and put the teabags in place. She didn't know...

"Thanks," Jim thanked Pam when she walked in with the tea. He was obviously caught up with watching TV, and Pam couldn't help but think how incredibly cute that was. She hid a smile as she walked to the couch adjacent to him, holding her mug in both hands. She settled herself in, picked up the remote, and hit pause.

Jim didn't protest: he merely turned his head and looked down at his mug of tea, as if resigned to his fate. Pam understood, because she didn't want to ask much more than wanted her to. But she had to some time; and sooner was better than later.

"Why are you here, Jim?" Pam looked at her mug of tea the whole time she was speaking, but looked up after to see his reaction.

Jim was staring at his mug; just staring and not doing anything. It took a full ten seconds before he looked up at her, took a deep breath, and answered.

"I'm tired."

This answer startled Pam. He was _tired;_ like, he was _sleepy_? Shouldn't he go to his own house and his own bed for that? And not stop by to tell Pam, for that matter? Jim was never one to be cryptic with his words, so Pam was pretty sure he was being serious.

"Um... okay," Pam wasn't sure exactly how else to respond, and Jim seemed to understand, for he smiled.

"You don't know what I mean, do you?"

Pam giggled and turned a little red, "No, not really. But explaining might help."

Jim chuckled and shook his head, looking back down at his hands. He took another deep breath, and began again:

"I don't mean 'tired' like 'sleepy' tired, I mean that I'm tired of... everything. Of running away. Of trying to start my life over. It's all becoming too much, and I'm sick of it all, you know?"

Pam's mouth twitched, but she was silent due to still being in a small amount of shock. Minutes ago she thought she was going to be spending a night alone with her TV and blanket, but then all of a sudden Jim showed up at her door, and was telling her that he was tired of running away from her. She felt tears fill her eyes, and she looked down at her lap, noticing through the blur of water that she was still wearing her pajamas. _Oh great, _she thought dully, wishing she was wearing suitable clothing. Well, Jim didn't mention it at all yet, and Pam was at least grateful for that.

"I'm sorry," Pam mumbled, still trying with all her might to hide the tears from him.

There was no immediate answer; instead she heard movement above her and, seconds later, she felt someone sit down next to her on the couch, so close they were almost touching. Pam squeezed her eyes shut, feeling a hot tear roll down her cheek.

"What are you sorry for?" Jim asked from beside her. Pam discreetly wiped away the tear before looking up into his eyes. He looked concerned, and Pam found courage in what she was about to say.

"I lied to Karen."

Jim scrunched his eyebrows. This time _he _was the confused one, and Pam elaborated. "Karen told me a few weeks ago that she was interested in you, and she asked me if I could give her advice as to what she should do to get you to notice her."

Jim's eyes widened and his jaw fell ever so slightly, "Really? Oh Pam, I'm so sorry. I didn't know..."

"Don't worry about it; I'm not blaming you," Pam said, smiling knowingly.

"Still," Jim gave a small, self-depricating smile, "That must've been really uncomfortable for you."

"True," Pam nodded in agreement, smiling a little, "But that was before I decided to lie."

Jim's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and she gave him a very Jim-like smirk. Pam knew that Jim already knew what she meant by this, but he obviously still wanted her to explain, which Pam did.

"I told her what I thought you were looking for in a woman, things I knew you weren't, and she believed me," Pam turned red when she said these words, and looked down. All of a sudden, this situation seemed a bit funny.

Jim laughed out loud, his eyes twinkling and he looked at Pam in amusement. "What exactly did you say my turn-ons were?"

"Does it matter?"

"No, but I still wanna know."

"Okay, but you have to promise not to laugh." Jim crossed his heart, promising not to.

Pam sighed, "I told her that you were a complete party animal, one that went out to clubs every night, and that you were looking for a girl who was totally wild."

"Hold on!" Pam held up a finger warningly, seeing Jim's supressed laughter and smile curling on his lips. "No laughing."

Jim nodded, covering his mouth with his hand.

"And I told her that you were attracted to women who ignored you."

Jim snorted very loudly and suddenly, and slapped his other hand over both his mouth and nose. Pam couldn't help but laugh out loud at his attempt at covering up his laughter.

"Okay, I'm allowing you to laugh now."

Jim didn't need telling twice: he brought his hands down from his face and busted out laughing. Pam chuckled with along with him, just because she loved to laugh with her best friend.

"Wow," Jim finally said after he had laughed his heart's content. "That was... you couldn't have been more off on that one!"

"Duh, that's why it's called a _lie_," Pam said, rolling her eyes and grinning.

Jim looked down, his smile and laughter fading away. Their fun time was over. They both were silent for a second, before Jim decided to break it with the question obviously boring a hole in his mind:

"Why _did_ you lie, Pam?" he asked this quietly, but it still made Pam shiver.

Pam and Jim both looked at each other at the same time, as if they were communicating telepathically the answer to that question. Again, Pam knew that Jim knew, but he still wanted her to say it out loud. To make it legit.

"I didn't want to lose you again." She said, just as quietly as he spoke. "I didn't want you to leave in the first place. That's why I was so miserable these last 5 months. And I when I heard you were coming back; you have no idea how happy I was! I thought I was going to get my best friend back. And maybe I could get my chance to know if I wasn't too late. But when Karen said all that about her liking you and stuff, well..." Pam paused, "I got scared and told her lies so that, well, I wouldn't lose you again." She looked at him, her eyes glistening.

Jim took a hold of her hand and squeezed it. Pam looked into his eyes, and noticed they were looking into hers with all the love and hope she had always dreamt of from him. He took his other hand and cupped her face, bringing it slowly and gently to his.

They kissed with all the love and intensity that they had built up over the last 5 months (or three years, even) and felt blissfully happy for the first time since then. Nothing else existed to Pam except for the man in front of her, kissing her. She couldn't help but smile against his lips: He still loved her, and now he knew she loved him.

Jim was the first to break the kiss, and he pressed his forehead against hers. He was smiling like an idiot too, and Pam wished she could kiss him more.

"What are we going to tell Karen tomorrow?" Pam whispered to Jim, closing her eyes at the feel of his skin on her forehead.

To Pam's surprise, Jim chuckled, "Wow, this was _so _not the conversation I wanted us to have after our first kiss."

Pam pulled away from him and frowned, "Well, this isn't our first kiss," she reminded.

Jim shrugged, "I know. But that conversation didn't go too well either, didn't it?"

Pam shook her head, "No, not really."

"I already explained everything to Karen. She'll be okay." Jim smiled, which made Pam smile with relief.

"That's good," Pam took a hold of Jim's hand, and squeezed.

Jim smiled and leaned in again with another kiss. Pam happily complied, knowing that, from now on, Jim would always be there to love her.

"I should probably get going," Jim reluctantly pulled away and checked his watch, making a move to get up.

Pam stopped him, "You can't go yet," she motioned to the TV, "You still need to find out if House is going to figure this case out or not."

Jim stared at Pam for a second before breaking out in a huge grin, "Yeah, _that_ would be a huge tragedy."

Pam patted the cushion next to her, and Jim sat down again, scooching as close to her as possible. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her close to him. He smiled goofily at her.

"Ready!" he sounded like an overeager kid.

Pam sunk into his embrace and smiled hugely. She grabbed the remote and hit play, eager to watch the show with him.

Jim stayed over for a few more hours, watching House with her and making popcorn and having tickle fights. When it was time to go, he gave her a long, goodbye kiss that gave her tingles on the soles of her feet.

She watched him drive away, smiling in a state of delirious happiness. And why shouldn't she be? The very source of her happiness was right in front of her, driving a silver Saab, and promising to never let her be alone and unhappy again. That was all she needed.

It looked like karma was on Pam Beesly's side once again, and this time for good.

**The End**

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_Well, that's the end of that chapter. And the end of that story. Go, my minions, and review!_


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